Softwr

News · head to head

Substack vs TinyLetter

Substack logo

Substack

News

The newsletter platform for writers and publishers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
TinyLetter logo

TinyLetter

News

The simplest way to send newsletters

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Substack substack does not publish pricing on its public pricing page; TinyLetter tinyLetter merged into Mailchimp; no longer offered as standalone product
  • They diverge on capability: Substack covers Paid subscriptions, TinyLetter covers Email templates.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Substack and TinyLetter actually diverge.

Attributes where Substack and TinyLetter differ
AttributeSubstackTinyLetter
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb
Founded20172011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (News).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Substack

  • Paid subscriptions
  • Email analytics
  • Post scheduling
  • Free/paid tier split
  • Comments & discussion
  • Apple News
  • Spotify
  • Stripe

Only in TinyLetter

  • Email templates
  • Email delivery
  • Simple editor
  • Facebook
  • Email

Both cover

  • Newsletter publishing
  • Subscriber management
  • Archive creation
  • Twitter
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Substack

  • Newsletter distributionnot TinyLetter
  • Reader monetizationnot TinyLetter
  • Community buildingnot TinyLetter
  • Subscriber managementnot TinyLetter

TinyLetter

  • Email newsletter distribution to subscribersnot Substack
  • Automated email marketing campaignsnot Substack
  • Customer communication and engagementnot Substack
  • E-commerce order notification systemsnot Substack

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Substack

  • Substack does not publish pricing on its public pricing page

TinyLetter

  • TinyLetter merged into Mailchimp; no longer offered as standalone product
  • Free tier limited to 250 contacts maximum
  • Pricing varies significantly by contact volume tiers
  • Premium plan at $350/month may be cost-prohibitive for small newsletters

Pricing, plan by plan

Substack

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited newsletters
    • Basic design
    • Archive access
  • Pro$12/month
    • Custom domain
    • Advanced analytics
    • Member chat

TinyLetter

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 250 contacts
    • Basic email campaigns
    • Customer insights
  • Essentials$13/month
    • A/B testing
    • Scheduling
    • Limited templates
  • Standard$20/month
    • Automations
    • Personalization
    • Generative AI
  • Premium$350/month
    • Phone support
    • Priority support
    • Multivariate testing

Which should you pick?

Choose Substack if

  • You need paid subscriptions.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want email analytics.
Substack review

Choose TinyLetter if

  • You need email templates.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want email delivery.
TinyLetter review

Questions people ask

Is Substack or TinyLetter better?
Neither clearly leads. Substack starts at Free and TinyLetter at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Substack or TinyLetter?
Substack starts at Free and TinyLetter at Free.
Does Substack or TinyLetter run on more platforms?
Substack runs on Web, Mobile. TinyLetter runs on Web.
Can I use Substack for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Substack best used for?
Substack is most often used for newsletter distribution, reader monetization, community building, subscriber management. Of those, newsletter distribution and reader monetization are not what TinyLetter is typically brought in for.
What can Substack do that TinyLetter cannot?
Substack covers Paid subscriptions, Email analytics, Post scheduling, Free/paid tier split. TinyLetter covers Email templates, Email delivery, Simple editor, Facebook. Both handle Newsletter publishing, Subscriber management, Archive creation, Twitter.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Substack: How much does Substack cost?

Substack does not publish rates on its pricing page. The site emphasizes earning potential for writers with the tagline Make money doing the work you believe in.

Source
TinyLetter: Is TinyLetter still available separately?

No, TinyLetter has been merged into Mailchimp and is no longer offered as a standalone product. Existing TinyLetter users were migrated to Mailchimp's marketing platform.

Source
TinyLetter: Does Mailchimp offer a free email plan?

Yes, Mailchimp's free plan supports up to 250 contacts and allows you to create email campaigns and learn customer insights at no cost.

Source
TinyLetter: What discounts does Mailchimp offer for annual billing?

Mailchimp offers 15% off the first 12 months for accounts with 10,000 or more contacts.

Source
TinyLetter: Is there a free trial available for Mailchimp's paid plans?

Yes, a 14-day free trial is available for Standard and Essentials plans without requiring a credit card for the first 100 emails.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Substack

More on TinyLetter

Keep looking

Other head to heads